Electric water-heater.



E. C. WEBSTER.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION mm Mn. 23. 1912 Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

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Specification of Lotte rs Patent.

Patented Dec. '24, 1918.

Application filed January as, 1011'. Serial in. 144,023.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be-it knownthat I, Emms'r C. Wnns'mn, a citizen oi the United States,-residing at Oakland, in v the county vof Alameda and V State ofCalifornia,-' have invented new and around the connections; to provide good contacts with the electrode without the use' of bindin' screws; and to'provide a construction y which the heater can be easily assembled-and disassembled. Further novel -2o featurcsof the invention will appear from 1 the descriptionthereofand will be particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved electrio water heater; Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken vertical section thereof; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through a controlling valve; Fi 4 is a broken plan view of the faucet b0 3 detached; Fig. 5 is a plan view of an insulating block detached; Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 66 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7' isfafside view of a cup-shaped element detached; Fig. -8 is a broken side view'of a portion of a handle detached.

Referring t6 the drawing, the faucet body 1 has ai' seat' for a tapering valve 2, amaininlet asjsage 3, vertical and horizontalbranchinlet passages 4 and 5 leadi'n I to said valve seat, horizontal and vertica outlet passages and 7 leading from said j'ValfVe seat, avertical discharge passage 8 sjlirroundinga tapering nozzle 9 inserted in 'theoutlet 1passage '6, said tapering nozjzle but afterward is contracted by means of an overhanging wall 20, so that the water ascending in said passage abuts against said overhanging portion 20 and is deflected to the side, thereby, as will more plainly a pear from the construction he'relnafter disclosed, preventing the too sudden closure of the circuit between electrodes. Each side of passage 25 communicates with three vertically extending holes 11 formed in a cylindrical insulating block 12, the lower surface of which is cemented to the upper surface of -the faucet body, said vertical holes terminating in the bottom of a circular groove 13 in the upper surface of said. body. An arcuate discharge hole 14 'leads downward through said body and c0mmunicates with the discharge passage 8, the upper portion of the hole 14 being bridged, as shown at 15.

Embedded Within said insulating block are a central cup-shaped conductor 16 and an annular coaxial conductor 17 surrounding the cup-shaped conductor. The bridges 15 are for the purpose of stren hening the narrow part ofthe insulating ock between the hole 14' and the annular conductor. The cupaped conductor 16 is externally roug @ned or corrugated, asshown at 18. Said conductors are connected to insulated copper wires 19, 21. The cup-shaped conductor' is internally threaded; as shown at 24:, and there is screwed thereinto the lower reduced portion 26 of a cylindrical aphite electrode 27, which has embeddeg in its lower ortion a metallic conductor 28 having a ead 29 adapted to contact with the inner surface of the cup-shaped conductor 16. The annular conductor 17 has at the bottom an inwardly extending flange, and said-insulating block is formed with a deep groove above said flange, and in said groove s seated a hollow cylindrical graphite electrade 31,; A spiderl32'of insulating materi' Sis jfoi nfedfvlfith a central plug 33 which 35 is held in position inclosi said electrodes by means of a sleeve 3 havin a shoulder 38 pressing against a rub er washer 39 on said flange, said flange pressing against a rubber Washer 41 on the margin of the upper surface of said insulating block, said margin being corrugated, as shown at 42 in Figs. 5 and 6, said sleeve 37 being screwed, as shown at 43, upon the top of the faucet body. The bridges 15 extend abov the top of the hole 18, as shown at 40 in Fig. 2 to prevent the rubber washer 41 being moved out of lace. The 0 en end of an outer inverte -cupshape cover 44 is fitted tightly on the upper reduced portion of said sleeve.

It will be seen that, whenthe valve 2 is turned so that the valve passage communicates with both passages 5 and 7, water flows through the six holes 11 into the groove 13, then between the two electrodes, and out through the spider 32, then between the outer electrode and the inner cover, and then by the passages 14 and 8 to the faucet. The water then forms a means for closing the circuit between the graphite electrodes, so that current flows therebetween, heating the water. When cold water is desired the valve is turned so that the valve passage communicates with both passages 4 and 6.

Said tapering'valve is held in place by a spring 46 around the valve stem 47, which passes through packing 48 and a nut 49. Surrounding a cylindrical reduced portion 51 of said stem is a bell-shaped cover 52 formed with a lug 53 and inserted in the faucet body are pins 54 adapted to engage said lug 53 to limit the movement of the valve stem, said bell-shaped cover being se cured to said'valve stein by means of corrugations 56 on the outer surface thereof, which can adjustably engage corrugations 57 on the adjacent surface of a handle '58, the outer portion 59 of said valve steln being square to fit, in any one of its positions, in an octagonal or star-shaped recess 61 in the handle. Screwed into the outer end of the valve stem, securing said handle in position is a screw 62, pressing the corrugations 57 against the corrugations 56.

It is extremely important to provide a construction such that water cannot by any possible means obtain access to any metallic parts of the apparatus whichare in the electric circuit, for, if such access be obtained, corrosion of said metallic parts is sure to take place. This is the reason for moldin the insulating material in a single block, %or, by this means, there can be no leakage of water through a space intervening between two or more separate blocks of insulating material. Moreover.

it is found that, in all electric water heaters which have exposed conductors in proximity'to water, there is sure to be at some time or other a collection of moisture upon said conductors, and if these conductors are-4n the electric circuit there will be a leakage of current throu h the conductors and cm= rosion thereof Wlll take place.

It is to insure against this result that I not only provide a double insulation of the co per wires 19 21-, as shown at 63, 64, but I orm the insulating block 12 with depending conical portions 66 molded around this double insulation, and I also pass over each wire and over the insulations 63, 64, therefor a third insulating sleeve 67, the upper en of which is passed over the conical depending portion 66 of the insulatingblock.

I claim' 1. In an electric water heater, the combination of an insulatin block, a central electrode supported there a tubular electrode also supported there y and surround ing said central electrode, a faucet bod to which said insulating block is secured, aving an inlet opening and provided with a part against which the water entering through said inlet opening can impinge, and with lateral enlargements into which it can escape after such impact, said insulating block having conduits therethrough communicating at one end with said enlargements and at the other end with the space between said electrodes.

2. In an electric water heater, the combination of an insulating block having an annular groove, an annu ar electric conductor embedded therein, an arcuate discharge hole in the insulating block outside of said conductor, and bridges bridging said discharge hole.

3. In an electric water heater, the combination of a cup-shaped conductor, a nonmetallic electrode the lower end of which supported by and electrically connected with said conductors, conducting wires connected to said conductors. insulating material around the respective wires, and. a block of insulatin' material molded around ,said electric con uctors, conducting wires and insulating material.

5. In an electric water heater, the combination of metallic conductors, electrodes supported by and electrically connected with said conductors, conducting wires connected to said conductors insulating material around the respect ve wires, and ,a

, block of insulating material surrounding said metallic conductors and having depending portions surrounding said insulatmg material on the respective wires.

6. In an electric water heater, the combination of metallic conductors, electrodes supported by and electrically connected with said conductors. conducting wires connected to said conductors, insulating material around the respective wires. :1 block of insulating material surrounding said metallic conductors and having depending portions surrounding said insulating material on the respective wires, and an msulating sleeve surrounding said insulating 10 material on the respective Wires and also the lower ends of said conical depending por- 

